It's Okay
by honeybee494
Summary: Diaval will always protect Aurora... but at what cost this time? (Maleval) (MAJOR character death)


**Angsty Maleval oneshot.**

**Word Count: 1046**

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything**

_It _happened at the cost of protecting Aurora.

The recently crowned Queen and her possible suitor, Prince Philip, had taken an afternoon away from stuffy councillors to walk through the Moors, side by side under the watchful eyes of Diaval and Maleficent.

The man and the fairy were walking a distance behind when Diaval's whole body stiffened, and without thought he sprinted towards Aurora throwing her to the floor.

Maleficent heard the whistling of the arrows as they were released and set to picking off the archers quickly, green flames erupting from her fingertips to kill those who dared to try harm her beastie.

Once assured that she had done the job Maleficent turned to check Aurora was unharmed and froze. Diaval.

The raven-turned-man was stood and time seemed suspended to him as pain began to erupt throughout his body. Arrows, so many arrows and too much pain to pinpoint what hurt the most. Diaval looked up from the arrow protruding from his chest all breath leaving him a ragged _whoosh_.

Maleficent's long legs carried her across the short distance arms catching Diaval as his body began to fall, "Diaval." His name left her lips as she lowered herself and him to the floor.

"Is she okay?" He panted, "Aurora, is she okay? Is she hurt?"

"She's okay." Maleficent nodded jerkily, one hand coming up to brush his hair away from his eyes, blood was beginning to coat his pale lips and she wiped at it softly, "She's safe."

"Yeah?" Diaval nodded, staring up into Maleficent's green eyes.

"She's okay." Maleficent repeated. Gently the fairy lowered him onto his back, hands fluttering uselessly over the arrows in his body. One of her hands wrapped around the arrows closest to his heart and went to wrench it out when one of his own, paling rapidly clasped her wrist.

"Don't." He whimpered weakly.

"I-I can heal you." Maleficent nodded frantically, "I can-I can heal you." She repeated.

"No….no you can't." He shook his head the barest amount, blood staining his lips crimson. "N-not this time."

"I can!" She said desperately, holding the arrow tighter. Tears burned at her eyes and he began to blur the more she looked at him.

"It's okay." Diaval murmured, his hand let go of her wrist to wipe softly at a tear Maleficent hadn't realised had escaped.

"Diaval." She whispered weakly, bringing her hand to his against her cheek.

"It's okay." He repeated, his voicing breaking as a few tears slipped from the corner of his eyes into his hair. He nodded, swallowing against the blood and the threatening sobs, "It's okay."

Maleficent shook her head, a soft hiccupping sound leaving her throat. The fairy held tighter to his hand squeezing her eyes against the tears, "It's okay." Diaval kept repeating and she looked down at his body, arrows poking out of him like a pin cushion, she bit her lip and a sob broke loose despite her efforts. It was _not _okay.

"I'm in the arms," a whimper cut his words off, "I-I'm in the arms of my m-mate. The one I love, it's okay."

Aurora's sob was loud and wet sounding as Philip held her against his chest.

"I love you." Diaval cried softly, "I love you, M-Maleficent."

"Diaval, no. Don't, w-we," A sob cut her words and more tears slipped down her cheeks, "I can h-heal you. I can f-fix you, I n-need to try."

"No." He whispered, "It w-won't work, M...aleficent. Don't waste y-your powers…on a l-lost cause. D-don't do it."

"Diaval, _please_!" She beseeched.

"Y-you have to tell….Aurora." he took as deep a breath as he dared, arrows shifting and adding more agony to his already riddled body. "Tell her. You ha-ave t-to tell her that," his voice pitched slightly higher as the pain made it almost impossible to think, he needed to say the words, needed his hatchling to know his voice was desperate as he said, "Tell her that I l-love h-er. Tell her, you n-need to tell….her that I l-love her."

Aurora sobbed harder into Philip's chest, her body shaking heavily as she gasped into the Prince's shoulder.

Diaval's breathing became faster and even more laboured as he stared into Maleficent's eyes. Then he stopped.

"No!" came the fairy's broken whisper, the raven's eyes slipped shut and his hand slackened and fell from her face. "No!" She shrieked.

"Come on Diaval wake up." She cried her voice hoarse and breaking, "Wake up, wake up, wake up." She begged between sobs shaking his shoulders. Diaval's body was limp and there was no steady or faltering heartbeat, nothing.

Maleficent rested her forehead against his, her wings drawing up to hide them both and her tears fell against his cheeks and she whispered, "I love you too."

That night Maleficent screamed, she lay against his chest and she wailed for her friend and companion, and for the love she found too late.

The funeral was held in the Moors and every magical creature attended alongside their Queen and their Protector.

A deep hole had been delved not too far away from Maleficent's tree, wrapped in a soft cloth Diaval had been laid, returned to his raven form. The Moor folk had gifted his grave with many things, small shiny things they'd found and some jewels from the pool. Aurora had placed a small but beautiful necklace inside, one that Diaval had found and gifted to her, she was but a child then.

Finally it was Maleficent's turn to place something and so she walked forwards, her head was bowed and she looked at nobody as she passed, she had not spoken since he had died before her very eyes. Leaning down she placed one feather from her wings, it was one of the best, long and full with a soft, downy feel, against his body.

The tears she thought had dried up started in full force once more and she stayed knelt by his grave for a long many hours, kneeling in front of the freshly turned dirt through the rain that had started until finally Balthazar came and forcibly removed her to make her sleep.

Despite everything that had happened in the past, Maleficent knew this was something she wouldn't be able to recover from.

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